Combined sewing-machine cabinet and lap-board.



M. E. B. WILLIAMS.

COMBINED SEWING MACHINE CABINET AND LAP BOARD.

APPucATloN man Aue. l. i911.

1 QQBD Patented Apr. 10, IDI?.

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MARGARET ELIZABETH BEEDLE XUILLMS, 0F WESTERN PORT, MARYLAND.

COMBINED SEWNG-IVIACEINE CABNET-AND LAP-BOARD.

Application led August 1, 1911.

My invention relates to animprovement.

in sewing` machine cabinets, its main `object being to provide an article of furniture of this general character, the drawers upon the door of which may be accessible whether the cabinet be open or'closed. Heretofore cabinets or inclosures of various kinds for sewing,- machines have been put before the public each comprising a suitable frame with a door, and upon the inside of such door have been attached a set of drawers accessible only when the door is open. But in such, cases, a person not wishing to use the sewing` machine, but in need of an article in one of the drawers, has been compelled to open the cabinet before reaching the article. rihe use of such arrangement not only consumes unnecessary time but is often found inconvenient. The main object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a sewing machine cabinet of novel and simple character which will rectify this inconvenience. Other advantages are possessed by my invention, as hereinafter pointed out.

ln the accompanying drawing, in the figures of which like parts are similarly designated,-

Figure l is a front perspective view showing the cabinet open. Fig. 2 is a rear per- Spective, also showing the cabinet open. Fig. 3 is an inside view of the door of the cabinet showing; the drawers and locking means therefor. Fig. 4 shows an arrangement under which the back is used as a table-leaf.v Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show details hereinafter described.

1 represents the main structure of the cabinet. 2 is a door hinged so as to be swung open and closed in the ordinary manner. This door is provided with an opening 3e which upon the inside of the door is surrounded by a support or framing 3. rllhis support or framing?,` is provided with shelves 3* of a width or depth equal to that of the drawers adapting said framing to receive a series of the latter whereby to permit them to be slid in either direction thereupon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr., 110, 19d?.

Serial No. 841,849.

rihus when the door of the cabinet is openV the sliding drawers 3 may not only be pulled out from and pushed in toward the inside of said door in the ordinary manner, but may be similarly pulled out from and pushed back toward the exterior of said.

door when the latter is in its closed position.

lf an operator is using the sewing,` machine, the cabinet necessarily being open at the time, and wishes to take an article from one of the drawers 3, it is obvious, as shown in Fig. l, that the drawers are in convenient reach for such purpose. Should the operator, after she has completed her work and closed the cabinet, then wish to take an article from one of the drawers 3, it will not be necessary to open the cabinet, but only to pull out the drawer from the front of the door The door is provided with a caster 6to bear its weight and that of the drawers when the door is opened. rEhe door 2 may, if desired, also carry means to hold it in open position. The drawers are preferably provided with any well known locking' de vice mounted in the framing 3C, an illustration of which is shown by 9 in Fig. 3. lt will be understood that the arrangement of the drawers, the cabinet being constructed in correct proportions, interferes in no wise with the sewing machine when the door is closed.

Fig. 7 shows drawers 3a pivoted on the door 2 adapted to swing in and out in a manner well known, the hinges 3b being of such known construction as will admit of inward and outward movement.

The .drawers of the cabinet are not only available to the operator at the machine, but also to one sitting in front of the door in its open position as shown in Figl. Consequently more than one person at the same time has the use of the same drawers. Each drawer is preferably provided with what may be termed two knobs, one at the front and the other at the rear end. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the knobs l() are on the rear of the drawers 3, while in Fig. 3 the knobs lOa are on the front; and it will be seen from the latter figure that a person sit ting on either side of the door 2 may pull a drawer 3 toward her, a feature which, so far as am aware, has not been included in cabinets of this character. l am aware that a cabinet has been made having a door and drawers, the latter being adapted to be used when the door is either open or closed. But

in such prior construction the drawers are not accessible from both sides of the door but only from the outside of one end of the cabinet, involving the cutting away of a portion of the frame for that purpose.

My invention is conveniently used with a cabinet having a slidable or otherwise removable back 4- which, when fully withdrawn or detached, may be used as a lapboard. This back may be cut away, as shown by the curved lines in Fig. 2, to fit the sewers lap, and the inner surface of the back may have upon it a rule and other attachments common in lap-boards. This back, when entirely or partly open, affords ventilation for the cabinet. Moreover, the back, when fully removed or detached, may be secured in any proper manner to the top of the cabinet and utilized as a table-leaf. To this end I provide, as seen in Fig. +L, a space la between the top and a side of the cabinet, together with a metallic fixture 4b at each end for holding an edge of the back thus used as a table-leaf, and also a support 4c, pivoted to the cabinet and adapted to engage the back.

With such a cabinet is employed a top 5 removably hinged and adapted to be swung over and rest on the door 2. Upon the door Q'may be fastened a roller 8, as shown in Fig. 6, for the purpose of giving easy movement to the door when the top 5 rests upon it. If the top is to be thrown back, even though the machine is not in use, independent means may be used to hold it out. rIhe removability of the top enables it to be used as a smaller lap-board. The cabinet of which my invention forms a part is preferably of the knock-down type, and therefore the hinges which attach the door 2 and top 5 to the frame are shown of such character that their parts shall be separable; See Fig. 8.

No claim is herein made to such features as are not specifically set forth in the claims forming a part hereof.

I claim l. A sewing machine table comprising a closed cabinet having a door at one side thereof hinged to swing in a horizontal direction, and drawers mounted on one side of said door and movable through the door to permit withdrawal from either side thereof. 2. A sewing machine table comprising a closed cabinet and a door at one side thereof hinged to swing in a horizontal direction, a rectangular frame secured on the inner side of said door, and drawers mounted to slide in said frame and through the door to permit withdrawal from either side thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARGARET ELIZABETH BEEDLE WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

EDUARD DE SALES LAUGHLIN, STELLA MARIE LAUGHLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

